Airflow rod for piercings

ABSTRACT

A piercing hygiene apparatus for a body piercing includes a rod having a diameter sized to maintain a piercing open when the rod is inserted into a body piercing channel, a removable head at one end of the rod and a fastener that can be removably attached at the opposite end of the rod. The head and fastener are sized such that they prevent the rod from falling out of the piercing channel when both are attached to the rod. The rod includes raised surfaces that extend outwardly along substantially the length of the rod such that an open space is created between the raised surfaces and the body piercing channel such that a passive airflow is generated by a temperature gradient between the body piercing channel surface and the ambient air temperature.

REFERENCE TO PRIORITY DOCUMENT

This application claims priority of co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/753,567 entitled “Airflow Rod for Piercings” by M. Zocher, filed Dec. 23, 2005. Priority of the filing date of Dec. 23, 2005 is hereby claimed, and the disclosure of the Provisional Patent Application is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to personal hygiene and, more particularly, to cleaning and medication and maintenance of body piercings.

2. Description of the Related Art

Body piercings are becoming more widespread in popular culture and are becoming accepted as aesthetically pleasing. Piercings are applied to the ears, nose, eyebrows, tongues, and assorted folds of skin. A decorative stud and clasp combination is typically inserted through the body piercing so that the stud passes through the piercing up to the head of the stud and is held in place by the clasp, which fastens to the free end of the stud. It is important for body piercing aftercare and for general personal hygiene to promote healing of the piercing and to apply medical topical solutions to body piercings.

Because a piercing is essentially an open wound to the skin, it is important to keep body piercings clean, especially in the time immediately following the piercing procedure. Keeping the body piercing clean promotes healing and prevents infection of the wound. In general, cleaning techniques for body piercings have involved an assortment of materials and supplies that are comprise a cleaning kit that must be assembled whenever a piercing is to be cleaned. Cleaning kits for piercing aftercare typically include a cleaning solution, a cleaning material to which the solution is applied, an insertion tool to pull the cleaning material through the body piercing, and a container to hold all the materials. The cleaning solution is typically an antiseptic or medicating agent contained in a bottle or other sealed vessel. The cleaning material is usually a sterile pad or a thread or string that is soaked with the cleaning solution. The insertion tool often resembles a sewing needle, having an eye that receives the string such that the needle can be pushed through the body piercing and the string can be threaded through the piercing.

After the string is soaked in the solution, the string is threaded through the eye of the needle, which is then pulled through the piercing. The needle brings the soaked string with it through the piercing. The soaked string makes contact with the piercing and thereby cleans it. The string can then be disposed of and the kit supplies can be put away. The process of soaking the string, threading the string through the needle and then pulling it through body piercing, and then cleaning up and disposing of the used supplies afterwards, is inconvenient and does not always maintain sterility of the kit components. Moreover, it can be cumbersome to carry around the cleaning kit supplies.

Other aids are available to encourage healing and hygiene of piercings, and to maintain the piercing channel in an open condition (i.e., hole maintenance). These aids include stud-and-clasp combinations that are inserted into the piercing so as to maintain the piercing channel and prevent it from closing up when no stud is in place and to prevent the channel from becoming clogged with foreign material. Some stud-and-clasp combinations include a clasp with a hollow end that fits partially over the stud. The stud can have a head or shaft with openings to permit air passage from the head to the piercing channel. Other such combinations include a stud with a reaming portion to scrape unwanted debris from the piercing channel. The stud can be provided with an absorbent substance that accepts a cleaning agent to be applied to the piercing channel.

It would be advantageous if aftercare for body piercings could be easily transported but yet maintained sterile until use, be suitable for promoting healing of the piercing channel, and be suitable for maintaining the opening when a piercing stud or ring or other piercing jewelry is not being worn. The present invention satisfies this need.

SUMMARY

A piercing hygiene apparatus for a body piercing includes a rod having a diameter sized to maintain a piercing open when the rod is inserted into a body piercing channel, a removable head at one end of the rod, sized to have a lateral extent that is greater than that of the piercing channel, and a fastener that can be removably attached at the opposite end of the rod, sized such that the fastener prevents the rod from falling out of the piercing channel when it is attached to the rod. The rod includes raised surfaces that extend outwardly along substantially the length of the rod, parallel to the length of the rod, such that an open space is created between the raised surfaces and the body piercing channel. The open space creates a passive airflow that is generated without motion or devices, due to a temperature gradient between the body piercing channel surface and the ambient air temperature. In this way, the apparatus promotes healing of the piercing channel, and can be easily transported but yet maintained sterile until use, while maintaining the opening when a piercing stud or ring or other piercing jewelry is not being worn.

The rod is held in place against movement while being worn, and is configured such that removal of the rod is accomplished by continuation of the same movement to insert the rod. That is, if the rod is inserted into a piercing channel by being pushed from an outer skin surface toward a back surface, such as at an ear lobe, then the rod is removed not by reversing movement, but rather by continuing to be pushed toward the back surface. Similarly, if the rod is inserted by being pulled into the piercing channel from the back surface toward the outer surface, then the rod is removed by continuing to be pulled into the channel and out the outer surface. In this way, the rod is moved through a piercing channel in only one direction, reducing the chance of contamination by reversing the direction of rod movement in the piercing channel. Such unitary movement of the rod is facilitated by having both the head end and the fastener end configured with removable ends.

Other features and advantages of the present invention should be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment, which illustrates, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a piercing hygiene apparatus and container packet embodiment that are constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the FIG. 1 hygiene apparatus with the head removed and the fastener detached.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the FIG. 1 hygiene apparatus placed through a body piercing, such as through a person's ear lobe.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of the FIG. 2 apparatus through the rod.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of a piercing hygiene apparatus embodiment with a hollow rod construction.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the FIG. 5 hollow construction rod showing the perforations in the rod.

FIG. 7 is a cross-section view of a piercing hygiene apparatus second embodiment with a hollow rod construction.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the piercing hygiene apparatus embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, showing an indentation in the head end and a complementary rounded fastener end.

FIG. 9, 10, 11 are views of the FIG. 8 hygiene apparatus in mating engagement with the complementary second apparatus as the second apparatus is used to push out the first apparatus.

FIG. 12 is a side view of a piercing hygiene apparatus with a threaded head end and a complementary fastener end.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a piercing hygiene apparatus 102 and container packet 104 embodiment that are constructed in accordance with the present invention. The hygiene apparatus 102 is enclosed within the packet 104 until the hygiene apparatus is to be used, at which time the packet is opened and the hygiene apparatus is removed. The apparatus promotes healing of body piercings, such as a piercing channel through an ear lobe, nose, or other body location. The healing is promoted by facilitating the flow of air between the apparatus and the skin surface of the piercing channel. The apparatus is also useful for maintaining the piercing channel open when a piercing stud or ring or other piercing jewelry is not being worn. The hygiene apparatus can be easily transported but yet maintained sterile until use,

The hygiene apparatus includes an elongated rod 106 with a fastener 108 attached at a fastener end 110 of the rod and a removable head 112 attached at the opposite end 114 of the rod. The rod 106 has a diameter that is sized to maintain a piercing open when the rod is inserted into a body piercing channel. The removable head 112 is sized to have a lateral extent that is greater than that of the piercing channel and the fastener 108 that is removably attached at the opposite end of the rod. The fastener is sized such that it has a lateral extent greater than the diameter of the piercing channel. The head 112 and fastener 108 together prevent the rod 106 from falling out of the piercing channel when the fastener and head are attached to the rod.

The rod 106 includes raised surfaces 116 that extend outwardly along substantially the length of the rod. When a person inserts the apparatus 102 in the piercing, an open space is created along the length of the piercing channel, defined by the apex or ridge of the raised surfaces, the valley or groove between the apex surfaces of the rod, and the body piercing channel itself. The apex and groove combinations extend parallel to the piercing. Such channels and ridges will not allow the body (the piercing channel) to “grab” the rod under extended periods of wear and will promote aerobic healing with passive airflow.

Because heat from the person's body keeps the surface temperature of the piercing channel at approximately body temperature (98.6 F), and because the ambient temperature in the open space will likely not be at the same temperature, the temperature difference establishes a temperature gradient between the body piercing channel surface and the ambient air temperature, generating a passive airflow through the open space that extends along the length of the rod and the piercing channel. The passive airflow will maintain air circulation through the piercing channel, thereby promoting healing.

The packaging 104 can comprise a foil pack or similar packet that can receive or envelope the apparatus 102 and be sealed against the environment to provide a sanitary environment that maintains the sterility of the hygiene apparatus 102, but can be easily opened, such as by tearing the packaging. Thus, the packet 104 containing the apparatus 102 can be conveniently carried about in a pocket or purse without danger of breaking or contaminating the apparatus. The hygiene apparatus can be produced in different sizes according to the size of the piercing channel with which it is to be used. For example, a piercing through the ear lobe might be of smaller diameter than a piercing through the nose. These different diameters call for correspondingly different diameters for the rod 106 to ensure that proper airflow is produced. The packaging can be configured to readily indicate the different sized rod diameters. For example, blue packaging can be used for rods of up to a given size diameter, and other sizes can be placed in red packaging, or green packaging, and so forth. Other product distinctions can be indicated by color coding of the packet. For example, as described further below, different embodiments of the apparatus can be provided with medication or topical lotions. Color coding can be used to indicate medicated and non-medicated versions. Other product differences can be indicated by packet distinctions, as desired.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the FIG. 1 hygiene apparatus 102 with the head 112 removed and the fastener 108 detached. The fastener can be removably attached to the rod 106 in accordance with a variety of fastening configurations. For example, a typical fastening mechanism for earrings is a combination stud and clutch arrangement, wherein a clutch fastener with release tabs can be snapped over the end of the earring stud, and can be removed from the earring stud by pressing release tabs on the fastener. The combination 102 shown in FIG. 2 can be configured such that the fastener 108 is constructed similarly to the clutch of typical earrings, and the fastener end 110 of the rod 106 is constructed similarly to the stud end of typical earrings. This permits the fastener 108 to be easily removed without tools, just as with fasteners of typical earrings. The head 112 can be attached to the opposite end 114 of the rod 106 in a similar clutch-and-stud fashion. Alternatively, a snap fit, friction attachment mechanism can be used to attach the head to the rod 106, and can also be used to attach the fastener 108 to the rod. Other attachment schemes also can be used, so long as the force of attachment is sufficient to keep the respective head 112 and fastener 108 attached to the rod during normal wear. Such schemes can include threaded engagement, spring loaded tabs, and the like.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the hygiene apparatus 102 placed through a body piercing, such as through a person's ear lobe 302. The apparatus extends through the thickness of the person's body such that the head 112 is adjacent one skin surface 304 and the fastener 108 is adjacent the other skin surface 306. The head and fastener prevent the apparatus from falling out of the piercing. The piercing is defined by a piercing channel 308 that comprises a shaft or elongated opening that extends through the thickness of the person's skin.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of the apparatus in FIG. 3 taken through the rod 106. The cross-section view shows that the rod 106 has a solid construction with raised surfaces 116 that extend outwardly along substantially the length of the rod such that an open space is created between the raised surfaces 116 and the body piercing channel 308 such that a passive airflow is generated by a temperature gradient between the body piercing channel surface and the ambient air temperature. In FIG. 4, the raised surfaces 116 comprise peaks, with troughs or grooves 304 between adjacent peaks. Thus, an open channel through which air can circulate extends from one skin surface 304 to the other 306 and is defined by any two adjacent peaks 116, the intervening trough 304, and the enclosing surface of the piercing channel 308.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of a piercing hygiene apparatus embodiment 502 with a construction having a hollow rod 503. The FIG. 5 embodiment has the same general outer shape as was illustrated for the embodiment of FIG. 4, but slots or holes 504, 506, 508, 510 are located periodically along the length of the rod to allow passage of substances from the interior 512 of the rod to the outer surface of the rod, among the peaks 514 and valleys 516.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the FIG. 5 hollow construction apparatus 502 showing the perforations in the rod 503. The apparatus is shown placed in a piercing, extending through a body part 602 such as the ear lobe of a person, from one skin surface 604 through another 606, in a piercing channel 608. The rod 503 includes multiple perforations or openings along its length, and are collectively indicated in FIG. 6 as spaced apart dots 610. These dots 610 correspond to the holes 504, 506, 508, 510 depicted in FIG. 5. The perforations 610 effectively enlarge the volume of air available for passive movement through the piercing channel 608 and can enhance the temperature gradient between the skin surface and the adjacent air, and thereby further encourage air flow through the piercing channel.

The apparatus 502 can be configured to accept a medication or other substance 520 (FIG. 5) into the hollow volume 512 of the rod 503, to be released through the perforations 610. The rod can be filled with substances that are selected specifically for particular purposes, such as for cleaning, medicating, reducing itch, and the like. If desired, the substance can comprise a semi-solid mass that is contained in the hollow rod during normal storage and handling, but that becomes liquid (melts) at approximately body temperature. Examples of such substances include cocoa butter and other natural wax-like substances that melt at body temperatures. In this way, the substance can remain in the rod and then, when the user wears the apparatus 502, the substance is melted by the user's body temperature and the substance passes out through the perforations 610. Such substances can comprise a delivery base for other ingredients, which are carried along with the substance itself and released through the perforations in the grooves of the rod. For example, medications or other solutions can be mixed in with the cocoa butter or other substance to be melted.

FIG. 7 is a cross-section view of a piercing hygiene apparatus 702 in a second embodiment having a hollow rod construction. The FIG. 7 apparatus can be produced from a generally flat stock 704 that is bent appropriately to form ridges 706 interspersed with valleys 708 and arranged so that the side edges of the flat stock meet together 710, thereby forming a hollow volume 712. The volume can be filled with a substance 714 that melts at body temperature, as described above. The flat stock can include perforations such as those 610 illustrated in FIG. 6 (not visible in FIG. 7 owing to the location at which the cross-section is taken).

FIG. 8 is a side view of the piercing hygiene apparatus embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, showing a first apparatus 102 and a second identical apparatus 802. Each illustrated apparatus 102, 802 is shown with its respective fastener and head end removed. Each apparatus 102, 802 includes an indentation 804, 806 in the respective rod head ends 114, 808 and a complementary rounded shape 810, 812 at the fastener end 110, 814. The first rod 102 is positioned in a piercing channel 816 of an ear lobe 817, extending from an outside (exposed) surface 818 to an inner surface 820. The matching, or complementary, shaped surfaces 804, 806 are useful in replacing an apparatus that is being worn with a new one. This assists in maintaining cleanliness. That is, the new apparatus can be mated with the old one and can be used to push the old apparatus out of the person's piercing channel. This procedure is illustrated in FIGS. 9, 10, 11 described below.

FIG. 9 is a view of the FIG. 8 first hygiene apparatus 102 located in the piercing channel 816 in mating engagement with the complementary second apparatus 802. That is, the indentation 804 in the head end 114 of the first rod 102 receives the rounded shape 812 in the fastener end 814 of the second rod 802. With this type of engagement, the second rod 802 can be used to push the first rod 102 out of the piercing channel, taking the place of the first rod in the channel. FIG. 10 shows the two rods 102, 802 as the first rod is pushed out of the piercing channel 816 of the ear 817, and FIG. 11 shows the second rod 802 having completely taken the place of the first rod 102 in the piercing channel. Thus, the second rod is used as a tool to replace the first rod in the piercing channel 816. This makes changing the rods a more convenient and sanitary procedure. The second rod can then be fitted with a fastener at the fastener end 814 and can be fitted with a head at the head end 808, so that the combination would once again appear is shown in FIG. 3. In this way, the rod is moved through a piercing channel in only one direction, for insertion and for removal. This reduces the chance of contamination that might occur from reversing the direction of rod movement in the piercing channel as between insertion and removal. The unitary movement of the rod described herein is facilitated by having both the head and the fastener end of the rod configured with removable ends.

FIG. 12 is a side view of a piercing hygiene apparatus embodiment with a threaded head end and a complementary fastener end. FIG. 12 shows two such embodiments, a first threaded apparatus 1202 and a second threaded apparatus 1204. As with the FIG. 8 apparatus, the ends of the rod are configured for mating engagement. In FIG. 12, however, the mating engagement is by means of threaded ends such that one end can be threaded into the other. Thus, the head end 1206 of the first rod 1202 is shown with threads 1208 and the fastener end 1210 of the second 1204 rod is shown with complementary threads 1212 that can be received into the head of the first rod. Once threaded together, the two rods 1202, 1204 are in mating engagement and the second rod 1204 can be used to push the first rod 1202 out the piercing channel, as was described above in connection with FIGS. 8-11. In FIG. 12, the opposite ends of each rod are also configured with threads, so that the fastener end 1214 of the first rod has threads 1216 and the head end 1218 of the second rod 1204 has threads 1220.

The threads at each end can be used as the mechanism for attaching the respective head and fastener. When a threaded head and threaded fastener are attached to the ends of the respective rods 1202, 1204, each will have the appearance of the combination 102 illustrated in FIG. 1.

Thus, in any of the embodiments described above, a rod can placed in a piercing channel through a piercing of a person and can be kept in place by attaching a head at one end and a fastener at the other end. In each of the embodiments, ridges and grooves along the length of the rod create a space between the rod and the piercing channel through the length of the channel, and thereby create a temperature gradient between the person's body temperature and the ambient air that produces a passive air flow through the piercing channel. The passive air flow helps promote healing and increases comfort. The rod can be hollow and can contain substances that promote cleanliness and increase comfort for the wearer.

The hygiene apparatus described herein provides a convenient means for maintaining hygiene of body piercings. Sterility of the hygiene apparatus is maintained by suitable packaging. The packaging for the hygiene apparatus can comprise sealed foil packs or other easily opened packs that maintain a seal against outside contaminants. The packaging can be provided with coding to indicate configurations with different sizes for different piercings. For example, package colors or legends can be selected to use one color for body piercings having a channel up to a predetermined diameter, and packages of a different color can be used for body piercings having a channel with a different predetermined diameter. If desired, the color of the hygiene apparatus may be given a corresponding color, to indicate the same size differences.

The present invention has been described above in terms of a presently preferred embodiment so that an understanding of the present invention can be conveyed. There are, however, many configurations for the system and application not specifically described herein but with which the present invention is applicable. The present invention should therefore not be seen as limited to the particular embodiment described herein, but rather, it should be understood that the present invention has wide applicability with respect to body piercings generally. All modifications, variations, or equivalent arrangements and implementations that are within the scope of the attached claims should therefore be considered within the scope of the invention. 

1. A hygiene apparatus for a body piercing, the apparatus comprising: a rod having a diameter sized to maintain a piercing open when the rod is inserted into a body piercing channel; a removable head at one end of the rod, sized to have a lateral extent that is greater than that of the piercing channel; a fastener that can be removably attached at the opposite end of the rod, sized such that the fastener prevents the rod from falling out of the piercing channel when it is attached to the rod; wherein the rod includes raised surfaces that extend outwardly along substantially the length of the rod such that an open space is created between the raised surfaces and the body piercing channel such that a passive airflow is generated by a temperature gradient between the body piercing channel surface and the ambient air temperature.
 2. A hygiene apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises a nut that is threaded onto the fastener end of the rod.
 3. A hygiene apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises a clutch that is snapped onto the fastener end of the rod.
 4. A hygiene apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the fastener end of the rod is threaded.
 5. A hygiene apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the fastener is threaded such that it can be screwed onto the threads of the rod fastener end.
 6. A hygiene apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the head end of the rod is threaded.
 7. A hygiene apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the removable head is threaded such that it can be screwed onto the threads of the rod head end.
 8. A hygiene apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the fastener end of the rod is threaded, the head end of the rod is threaded, and the ends are constructed such that the threads of either the fastener end or the head end can be received into the opposite threaded end of another similarly configured rod.
 9. A hygiene apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the head comprises a nut that is threaded onto the head end of the rod.
 10. A hygiene apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the head comprises a clutch that is snapped onto the head end of the rod.
 11. A method of producing a hygiene apparatus for a body piercing of a person, the method comprising: providing a rod having a diameter sized to maintain the body piercing open when the rod is inserted into the person's body piercing channel; providing a removable head that can be attached at one end of the rod, sized to have a lateral extent that is greater than that of the piercing channel; providing a fastener that can be removably attached at the opposite end of the rod, sized such that the fastener prevents the rod from falling out of the piercing channel when it is attached to the rod; wherein the provided rod includes raised surfaces that extend outwardly along substantially the length of the rod such that an open space is created between the raised surfaces and the body piercing channel such that a passive airflow is generated by a temperature gradient between the person's body piercing channel surface and the ambient air temperature.
 12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the fastener comprises a nut that is threaded onto the fastener end of the rod.
 13. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the fastener comprises a clutch that can be snapped onto the fastener end of the rod.
 14. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the fastener end of the rod is threaded.
 15. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein the fastener is threaded such that it can be screwed onto the threads of the rod fastener end.
 16. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the head end of the rod is threaded.
 17. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the removable head is threaded such that it can be screwed onto the threads of the rod head end.
 18. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the fastener end of the rod is threaded, the head end of the rod is threaded, and the ends are constructed such that the threads of either the fastener end or the head end can be received into the opposite threaded end of another similarly configured rod.
 19. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the head comprises a nut that is threaded onto the head end of the rod.
 20. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the head comprises a clutch that is snapped onto the head end of the rod. 